gulfnews.com, IT experts converge on Dubai for Innovations, 5 Nov 07 "Conference 'Innovations '07' will be held from November 18 to 20 at the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel, said Dr Hadef Bin Jouan Al Daheri, Vice-Chancellor of the UAE University, at a press conference." Sounds fun.

New and noted II: gulfnews.com, Gulf News radios 1 and 2 make waves on the web, 5 Nov 07 "The new internet service went live early on Friday morning and comes just weeks after podcasts were made available on gulfnews.com for the first time." Schedules are here

New and noted: pakistanpolitics.net [via Ali Eteraz] I shall be watching this one with interest. It certainly fills a gap in the market...

This Day, Nigeria: Intel, ETF Invest $10.1 million On Digital Content, 4 Nov 07 "Intel, one of the world's leading information communication technology (ICT) firms has, in collaboration with the Education Trust Fund (ETF), invested $10.1million towards the development of a digital curriculum content for Nigerian secondary schools under the e-school initiative."

Independent, MI5 chief: children are being taught to become terrorists, 6 Nov 07

AP, Italian police go after suspected Islamic extremists recruiting bombers for attacks in Iraq, 6 Nov 07 "Police have discovered al-Qaida manuals on how to produce explosives, detonation devices and poisons as well as instructions on guerrilla techniques, the agencies reported."

reuters.com, Qaeda's Maghreb propaganda man surrenders - paper, 5 Nov 07 "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's "propaganda" man in charge of supplying Al Jazeera with videos and online documentation has surrendered, saying he regreted what he had been doing, Algerian daily Liberte said on Monday.

"The daily, quoting unnamed security sources, said Abu Abderahmane had used the Internet to communicate with the Qatar-based channel, as well as sending it videos, and CDs either directly to Doha or its Morocco branch."

The original article is here, although the connection is very slow: Liberte, Le responsable audiovisuel du groupe terroriste arrêté, Les secrets du pacte entre Al-jazeera et le GSPC "Le concepteur, producteur et fournisseur d’images vidéo du GSPC, destinées à la chaîne qatarie Al-Jazeera pour faire la propagande du terrorisme en Algérie, vient de se rendre aux services de sécurité. Un nouveau coup dur pour Al-Qaïda."

Reuters Canada, Zawahri says Libyan group joins al Qaeda, 3 Nov 07 " "Honorable members of the Fighting Islamic Group in Libya announce that they are joining the al Qaeda group to continue the march of their brothers," Zawahri said in a recording posted on the Internet on Saturday.

"The Libyan group would be the second militant organization to join al Qaeda this year after Algeria's armed GSPC said in January it had won approval from Osama bin Laden to rename itself Al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb."

todayonline.com, Asia in Crisis, 5 Nov 07 updates/comments on Pakistan situation. Also see LA Times/Seattle Times, Mass arrests in Pakistan, 5 Nov 07 "But despite such authoritarian measures, Pakistanis gave free vent to their feelings — in Internet chat rooms, in sharply worded editorials in independent newspapers and in quiet but impassioned talk in bazaars, aboard overcrowded buses and in restaurants." Check out All Things Pakistan, Pakistan: Chronology of a Political Meltdown, 5 Nov 07 and Dawn, Countrywide crackdown : Hundreds of lawyers, rights activists and politicians detained, 4 Nov 07 as well. A useful feed can be found at News Now, Pakistan. Kamla Bhatt has a summary of blogger comments: Global Voices Online, State of Emergency in Pakistan, 3 Nov 07

dnaindia.com, Kashmiri youth rediscover religion, 4 Nov 07, "It has become a trend of sorts as more and more youth are turning to religion. And there are plenty of new Islamic schools that are acting as catalysts of this change. ‘School of Orthoepy, Quran and Theology Education’ is one such school in Kashmir which is using technology for religious teachings. Computers, big projectors, internet and other technological innovations have made religious teachings easy to fathom.

""We have technology at hand and we should use it. There is no harm in using technology in religious teachings," says Tanveer Ahmad, a computer professional, who runs School of Orthoepy, Quran and Theology Education." Their site is here: SOQTE.org BTW Orthoepy = Tajweed. Image on the left is taken from the front page of the site

NYT, God and Man on YouTube, 4 Nov 07 "'The Truth About Islam From an Ex-Muslim Lady,' YouTube’s most-discussed video ever, shows a woman on a TV-news program delivering a fearsome disquisition in Arabic on Samuel P. Huntington’s clash-of-civilizations idea — the concept that global politics are now determined by potentially apocalyptic cultural collisions. The woman, identified as an Arab-American psychologist, celebrates the “civilization” of the West and denigrates the 'backwardness' of Islam, according to the English subtitles. Since 'The Truth About Islam' first appeared in the spring of last year, something about this video clip has inspired viewers to lay bare their ideological ids. It has prompted 200,000 comments." The famous clip, translated by MEMRI TV, gets another airing here. You can find excerpts of it on YouTube, together with attendant discussion. YouTube, Truth about islam from an ex-muslim lady [BTW my Disclaimer is here]

Discussion piece by Yaniv Ofek, research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel: frontpagemagazine.com, The Islamic "Muqawama", 5 Nov 07 "The notion of Islamic resistance draws from the fundamentalists’ perception that Islam and its values are under severe attack by the West. The West's ill-mannered culture; its sexual liberalism, including its twisted outlook on the status of women; its blasphemy; and above all its coarse marketing of the liberal and democratic values through movies and the internet -- all this creates a 'threat' that Islamists see as a tremendous peril to the Islamic youngsters who can easily be tempted by the pleasures the Western culture has to offer. In short, Western culture challenges Islam's most basic conception, namely that it is a ruling religion that will prevail across the world. Resistance against the West, then, becomes the Islamists’ way of attaining the hegemony they believe is rightly theirs."

Here's an interesting article on gaming, written by Gwen Ackerman: Bloomberg, Arab Bombers, Israeli Soldiers Take Middle East Conflict Online , 5 Nov 07 "Don an Israeli army uniform, wield an M-16 rifle and face a mob of angry Palestinian demonstrators. Or, arm yourself with a Kalashnikov and aim to shoot former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the forehead. Or detonate a suicide bomber on a busy city street and kill as many as possible.

"These are only a few of the Internet war games readily accessible on the Web for anyone who wants to fight in the Middle East's conflicts from the comfort of a keyboard. The body count is growing as the games perpetuate the views of Israelis, Palestinians, U.S. citizens and al-Qaeda members."

AP, Egypt: 2 Cops Sentenced for Torture, 5 Nov 07 "Though el-Kabir's trial is not the first against police officers accused of torture, it is the first in Egypt involving a video that was circulated on the Internet. Other videos of alleged police torture in Egypt have since appeared on blogs, and human rights groups and activists believe the verdict in el-Kabir's case could set a precedent."

BBC, Bridging Africa's digital divide, 1 Nov 2007, "Intel's chairman Craig Barrett is in Africa to talk about initiatives designed to end the digital divide. He tells BBC News of the challenges the continent faces as it attempts to reap the benefits of the technological revolution."

Guardian, What role did al-Qaida play?, 31 Oct 07 article by Jason Burke, with net refs.

Economist, The brains behind the bombs, 1 Nov 07 "IF THE internet is jihad's open university, used for spreading ideological and military knowledge, then one of its most formidable professors is Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Setmariam Nasar, better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Musab al-Suri. The Syrian-born militant was arrested in Pakistan in October 2005 and is now believed to be detained by the United States in an unknown location. Yet his lectures remain available as audio files in cyberspace." Profile. I'm referring to al-Suri as part of my next book. This article refers to Brynjar Lia's book Architect of Global Jihad on al-Suri (published by Hurst), which I have previously blogged about and am looking forward to reading (it comes out this month).

National Post, The "Blogfather" worried about the demonization of Iran, 1 Nov 07 "These are trying times for the so-called "Blogfather of Iran". Beset by legal troubles, abandoned by former allies and angered by the West's hostile characterization of his native land, Hossein Derakhshan could be forgiven if the topic he is to address in Ottawa on Friday -- the role of the media in democratic development -- isn't top of mind." Hossein Derakhshan is presently being sued for comments made on his blog about Mehdi Khalaji, a visiting Iranian scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. See Editor Myself, Mehdi Khalaji's $2 million lawsuit against me over my blog posts, 30 Oct 07, which contains details of the claim. For a profile of Mehdi Khalaji, see his page at the Washington Institute.

uzbekistan.neweurasia.net, Kyrgyz authorities accuse Islamic extremists in the death of the journalist, 31 Oct 07 "After the death of Alisher Saipov, a famous journalist from Osh, Kyrgyzstan, almost all internet sites of Central Asia, especially the ones about Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, had been hotly discussing the assassination."

It's in the mix

I have just caught up with this fascinating article from Open Net Initiative about a remixed video clip available on YouTube, based on a popular song by Nancy Ajram. The original song is basic pop, but the remix is something else entirely.

First, read the article:

Open Net Initiative Blog, Political satire, Internet surveillance, and user empowerment: A story of a remix clip from the Middle East, 19 October 2007:

"The remix, which has been widely circulated in online forums and video haring Web sites, depicts a group of Arab leaders as obedient students in the U.S. administration school. The clip shows U.S. officials, mainly U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as instructors in the classroom and uses a hit children’s song by the glamorous Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. While it is unclear who produced the clip it is obvious that it was released to coincide with Secretary Rice’s visit to the Middle East to prepare for a peace conference between the Israelis and Palestinians."

Here's the original song by Nancy Ajram, entitled 'Shatter shatter':



And here's the remix clip, as presented on Al-Jazeera's "Listening Post":

bloomberg.com, Tunisia Web Surfers Learn Criticism of Leader `Cannot Be Found', 2 Nov 07 "Tunisia aggressively promotes Internet use as part of its pro-Western, pro-everything-that's- modern self-image. The North African country's online population has grown almost 10-fold in the past seven years, according to Internet World Stats, a collector of Web use data.

"For all that, a carefully selected realm of subjects is off limits. More than likely, the country's 1.6 million users -- the number provided by the Tunisian Internet Agency, the government's Internet oversight department -- won't be able to read news Web site Tunisnews. Nor can they find an article critical of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the president for 20 years, or peruse blogs that oppose the ban on Islamic headscarves in Tunisia. Attempts to log on to such sites are met with the message: "The page cannot be found."" Refers to research undertaken by the Open Net Initiative

khaleejtimes.com, Fatwas will be made available on Internet, 2 Nov 07 more on the slick Dar Al Ifta site (previously blogged)

MEMRI, Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-'Arifi Explains Wife Beating in Islam to Young Muslims in a Ramadhan Show, 9 Sept 07 subtitled + transcript [via lgf] includes video clip from LBC TV of Muhammad Al-’Arifi's discussion.

technewsworld.com, Electronic Jihad: Winds of Cyber War or False Alarm?, 2 Nov 07 "Some security experts have dismissed the report, calling talk of an impending "electronic jihad" little more than static. Others, however, said improving tools could make such an assault a distinct possibility." More on this story from earlier in the week. Also see eNews 2.0, The Cyber Jihad Reports Sound Just like Fake, 1 Nov 07

startribune.com, 'The 99' Muslim comic superheroes land in U.S., 31 Oct 07 Details at Teshkeel Comics. I have previously blogged on this, but haven't got hold of a copy yet... however, electronic copies are available via Qmags, including the Origins issue.

IDG News Service/pcworld.com, Report: Cyber Jihad Set for Nov. 11: Security experts say that a reported al-Qaeda cyber jihad attack planned against Western institutions should be treated with skepticism, 31 Oct 07, "Such an attack could be launched with a known software kit, called Electronic Jihad Version 2.0, said Paul Henry, vice president of technology evangelism with Secure Computing. This software, which has been in circulation for about three years, has recently become more easily configurable so that it could be more effective in a distributed denial of service attack, such as the one suggested by the DEBKAfile report.

"Attackers would download Jihad 2.0 to their own desktops and specify the amount of bandwidth they would like to consume, not unlike the SETI@home software package used to scan for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence." This report by Robert McMillan refers to the DEBKAfile story posted yesterday.

AP/Fox News, Cleric: Women's Sexy Clothing Distracting Muslim Men From Sleep, Prayers, 31 Oct 07, "Nik Abdul Aziz's fundamentalist party has about 800,000 members. He is also the chief minister of northeastern Kelantan, the only one of Malaysia's 13 states that is not ruled by the moderate National Front governing coalition.

"His party's Web site published an illustration Wednesday of how women should dress — in long, flowing headscarves covering their hair and chests and "baggy and loose" long-sleeved, floor-length dresses."

rediff.com, 'I felt dirty about it', 29 Oct 07 interview with journalist Asra Nomani, about her role in the production of 'A Mighty Heart'. Some net refs.

DEBKAfile, Al Qaeda declares Cyber Jihad on the West, 30 Oct 07, "In a special Internet announcement in Arabic, picked up DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources, Osama bin Laden’s followers announced Monday, Oct. 29, the launching of Electronic Jihad. On Sunday, Nov. 11, al Qaeda’s electronic experts will start attacking Western, Jewish, Israeli, Muslim apostate and Shiite Web sites. On Day One, they will test their skills against 15 targeted sites expand the operation from day to day thereafter until hundreds of thousands of Islamist hackers are in action against untold numbers of anti-Muslim sites." No particular sources on this are cited.

BBC News, Blears targets Islamic extremism, 30 Oct 07, "New measures will include training imams to communicate more effectively, teaching citizenship in mosque schools and funding internet projects."

Guardian, 21 guilty, seven cleared over Madrid train bombings, 31 Oct 07 "The group was accused of masterminding, carrying out or helping prepare the attacks on four packed commuter trains heading into Madrid from working-class neighbourhoods during the morning rush hour of March 11 2004."

Yahya Birt, Roll up, roll up! Vote for the best of the British Muslim blogosphere, 30 Oct 07

MSNBC, Was Bin Laden's last video faked?, 29 Oct 07 "“Here is Bin Laden in the same clothing, same studio, same studio setup, and same desk THREE YEARS LATER,” wrote Krawetz in his blog, hackerfactor.org, and in an interview with NBC News. “In fact, his stack of papers that he reads are moved between the exact same stacks. If you overlay the 2007 video with the 2004 video, his face has not changed in three years -- only his beard is darker.”" Interesting article and theories, including various clips.

IHT, Survey finds radical literature in UK mosques, much of it linked to Saudi Arabia, 30 Oct 07 "The Policy Exchange, timing its report to Saudi King Abdullah's state visit, said the material expressed a deep-rooted antipathy toward Western society, calling for violence against enemies of Islam, including women and gays who demand equal rights." The full report is here. Also see Independent, Malise Ruthven: How the Saudis used oil money to export a hardline ideology that fuels Islamist terror, 30 Oct 07 Opinion and comment relating to the state visit of King Abdullah to the UK

Blogger News Network, Bin Laden’s Infiltration Of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 29 Oct 07 Rather a long post, which contains several net references, centred on Ali Al-Timimi. I've yet to fully read this, or explore the related refs.

Gulf News, We must embrace knowledge if Arab world is to progress, 28 Oct 07 Op-ed: "Otherwise, is it reasonable that in the Arab world today, there are no less than 65 million illiterates, two-thirds of whom are women? Is it reasonable that no less than 10 million children between the ages of 6 to 15-years-old are out of school? Is it reasonable that a bare 0.6 per cent of the population uses the internet? And is it reasonable that the vast majority of the Muslim world still lives in poverty?"

AKI, Spain: Islamic terrorist cell members sentenced, 29 Oct 07 "Abdelkader Ayachine and Wissam Lofti, two of the six alleged terrorists belonging to an Islamist cell in the northern Spanish city of Burgos, have been convicted of inciting Jihad (holy war) through the Internet, and to have provided financial support to jailed Islamists."

Times, Internet dating ticks all boxes for Muslims, 29 Oct 07

Guardian, Disquiet on the North-West Frontier, 30 Oct 07 Jason Burke's report contains an interesting net reference.

Telegraph, Terror student Siddique jailed for eight years, 24 Oct 07 "Mohammed Atif Siddique, 21, a shopkeeper's son who has been described as Scotland's first homegrown terrorist, was convicted last month of possessing and distributing terrorist material via websites."

AKI, Terrorism: Adnkronos interviews expert Brian Jenkins, 26 Oct 07 includes net refs.

taliyanews.com, The offer of GPRS, 24 Oct 07"The tender for the GPRS, wireless system providing Internet access, of the first operator will be carried out again if we do not get any definite conclusion from SA Iran, the chairman of the Transaction Commission of Telecommunication Company of Iran said."

Following yesterday's concert for Darfur, here are a few related links (there didn't seem to be an official concert site):

Guardian, Muslim Live8 brings home Darfur crisis, 22 Oct 07 Concert review.

Sami Yusuf includes a recent interview, and links to videos. His most recent track "Asma Allah" is below:




Outlandish takes you through to their videos and biodata, including "Try not to cry" (with Sami Yusuf):




The Sound of Reason are on MySpace, where their top-rated track is 'Palestine'. They seem to have taken on Gil Scott-Heron's tag "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

Finally, Kareem Salama (right) is currently promoting his latest release, "This Life of Mine". File under Country & Western/Americana. You can listen to his new album on the page.

Al Jazeera, Manila blast death toll rises, 20 Oct 07, "Norberto Gonzales, the president's security adviser, said they had received an intelligence report that Abu Sayyaf was trying to raise funds abroad using the internet site YouTube and the blast could be used as part of this campaign."

The People, I'll be Bak-ri, 21 Oct 07 "Outlawed Islamic fanatic Omar Bakri Mohammed has vowed to defy a ban on him returning to Britain - and challenged anti-terror cops to charge him or leave him alone."

MSNBC, Militants hail Bhutto attack on web site, 19 Oct 07 commentary

Yemen Times, Yemen Mocha: The Song of Yemen, Issue: (1096), Volume 15 , From 22 October 2007 to 24 October 2007 non-tech, except that coffee is a vital component of web culture ...

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, A decisive week for the freedom of expression in Egypt: A verdict will be delivered in the case of banned websites and blogs on December 8. The judge of appeal dropped the Huwaida Taha's case, 21 Oct 07

Non tech, but reflecting online discussions Pajamas Media, Mullahs vs. Mullahs (Part 2), 19 Oct 07 opinion piece by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi and Elio Bonazzi. Part 1 is here

Dawn, Benazir survives midnight carnage: Twin blasts cast shadow over homecoming •At least 125 dead, 19 Oct 07 "The former FIA chief Rahman Malik alleged that no cellphone jammers had been provided by the government as protection against suicide attacks – a charge stoutly denied by Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao."

Also see The News, 138 dead as blasts hit Benazir Bhutto�s rally in Karachi, 19 Oct 07


Al Jazeera, Pakistan ambassador to US condemns Karachi blast, 19 Oct 2007

Fox News, 2 Bomb Blasts Hit Near Bhutto in Pakistan, 19 Oct 07

A bunch of tech stories, with relevance in a lateral way to this blog: Giga OM, New Flickr UI with GeoTagging is Very Impressive, 19 Oct 07 I was interested in this, in terms of regional application, but it is not out yet. While I was at Giga OM, I found this too, which I thought was useful: Giga OM, Big Internet is Web 2.0’s OS — so Who Owns the Apps?, 18 Oct 07. I was on a roll by then with the RSS, which I check regularly, because this also cropped up: Giga OM, Who Will Own the Search Experience?, 18 Oct 07.

asharq alawsat, Saudi Arabia: Blogging Continues to Gain Momentum, 19 Oct 07 "Despite the fact that blogging remains relatively new to the kingdom, the number of weblogs based out of Saudi Arabia is estimated to be over 1,000, launched by both men and women, according to members of The Official Community for Saudi Bloggers (OCSAB)."

Russia Profile, The Jihadization of the North Caucasus, 17 Oct 07 "A contributor to one Internet site appeals to the authority of Sheikh Al Islam Ibn Taymia, who, together with Qutb, is one of the most quoted authorities for present-day Islamists. The contributor argued that the Taliban has become tainted by compromise with the non-Islamic world and has tried to create a peculiar, but still democratic, state." Opinion piece by Dmitry Shlapentokh.

All Things Pakistan, Would you like to buy my Kidney please?, 17 Oct 07

Coverage of Benazir Bhutto's return is extensive. Reports can be found in Dawn, Daily Times, The Guardian, and AFP/asharq alawsat. Expect coverage on the Pakistan Peoples Party site, which has a listing of external headlines.

Al-Ahram Weekly, Native scene, 18 - 24 October 2007 Arabic rock: "Cairokee have built their understanding of sound on satellite channels, the Internet and sheer practise. What is truly remarkable is that they have their own distinct formula, independently conceived and profoundly in touch with young people's concerns." You can sample Cairokee here.

The Al-Ahram article also reviews some hip-hop from Native Deen, who have a new release out. I guess we shouldn't call it a CD anymore, presumably available for download, etc. Here's a video from it:

Gulf News, Official iPhone launch in UAE unlikely anytime soon, 16 Oct 07 "UAE consumers may not be able to purchase the officially-released iPhone, as the UAE regulator would bar Apple from establishing any exclusive network services within the UAE market." Kind of a non-headline. Other products are available (with touch phone clones on the way).

GulfNews.com, Internet scam targets users of social networking website, 16 Oct 07 "Users of social networking websites are being warned to be on the lookout for internet scams, after reports of 'phishing' attempts on UAE based Facebook accounts."

BBC News, Report highlights blog censorship, 16 Oct 07 "Bloggers are now finding themselves prey to censorship from repressive governments as much as journalists in traditional media, a report says." Now see the original report: rsf.org, Eritrea ranked last for first time while G8 members, except Russia, recover lost ground, 16 Oct 07

AFP, Piety, defiance and bloodshed mark Middle East Eid, 13 Oct 07 "Away from the graves, Islamic internet sites were filled with congratulations to the "holy warriors" in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir and elsewhere.

"In particular "special congratulations" were paid to the "emirs of Jihad", notably (Taliban chief) Mullah Omar, Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Omar al-Baghdadi, head of the Iraqi branch of the terror network."

NYT, The Internet Jihadi "An interview with Samir Khan, a North Carolina blogger, investigating how militant Islamists use the Internet to spread their appeal to the West." The video of the NYT interview. Seems that Khan's site is down today - there's reference to it in my next book. Also see: roanoke.com, Editorial: News from another front in the terror war, 17 Oct 07 further response to the NYT piece earlier this week. There's also this response: Jawa Report, Inshallashshaheed Outted: North Carolina Jihadi in the News (UPDATED), 15 Oct 07 "While we appreciate Moss's commitment to spreading the word about the Internet Jihad, we really wish he would have consulted with us on the matter. He has a right to out Inshallahshaheed as Samir Khan, but doing so has jeopardized an ongoing investigation into a terror ring which begins in the US and ends in Somalia."

ech-chorouk.com, Security forces declare electronic war on Al-Qaeda in Algeria, 16 Oct 07 "Algerian security forces pay careful attention to Internet websites used by the so-called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) especially after the adoption of suicide bombs strategy."

MEMRI, Jihadist/Islamist Websites and Their Hosts (List III): Websites Supporting Jihad in Iraq – Hosted in the West, 16 Oct 07 "On August 10, 2007, MEMRI posted a list of Islamist websites, forums, and blogs which support warfare against Coalition forces in Iraq and promote jihadist incitement and propaganda. [1] This report presents additional websites which promote a similar anti-Coalition agenda, and a list of websites from the previous list that are still hosted by ISPs in the West."

AKI, Malaysia: Sex offenders 'to be publicly shamed', 16 Oct 07 "Malaysian police have announced a plan to name sex offenders in newspapers and internet sites. A registry is planned for all types of sex offenders, including pedophiles, and will include the offenders’ photographs."

radionetherlands.nl, Salafism growing, but preaches no violence, 10 Oct 07 "The AIVD has also adopted a new term for the most recent developments: "Islamic neoradicalism". According to the Service, there are now Dawa preachers active who are not, or only slightly, dependent on support from abroad; they operate using a "smart marketing strategy" which consciously avoids straying too close to the margins of Dutch law. The Internet is no longer a primary communications channel: it's now mosques and meeting halls, where priests are not interrupted by all the 'noise' of critical voices such as those in Internet forums and chat rooms." The report can be found here: Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), The radical dawa in transition [PDF, 813kb]. I have yet to read this, but it certainly looks interesting. There is also an earlier report: AIVD, From Dawa to Jihad. [PDF]

AP, Islamic Jihad: No Peace for Israelis, 12 Oct 07 "The militant known as Abu Hamza is constantly on the run from Israel, and his hideout today is a dank room at the back of a nondescript house filled with adults and frolicking children.

"The room is barren except for a computer hooked up to the Internet, which the Islamic Jihad commander said is used to plan rocket attacks on southern Israel. He pledged to keep up the violence despite the growing likelihood of a major Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip."

LA Times/seattletimes.com, European militants now get training in Pakistan, 15 Oct 07"In Spain, radical Pakistani Imams and recruiters are muscling into predominantly North African mosques, a senior Spanish anti-terror official said.

"In Italy, Moroccan and Tunisian extremists communicate by Internet with extremists in Pakistan, an Italian anti-terrorism official said."

VOA, Last Year's Violence Hangs Over Eid Celebrations in Egypt, 12 Oct 07, "The events became public only after several eyewitnesses posted photos, videos and their own accounts of the violence on the Internet. The disclosures were met at first with disbelief, then with outrage. The government initially denied anything had happened, and accused one of the bloggers of lying. But the sheer number of eyewitness, some of whom shared their stories with a local television station, supported the blogger's account. Nobody denies it anymore"

echoroukonline.com, Algeria: army fights off 50 terrorists in Tizi Ouzou, 14 Oct 07 "A total of 300 cell phones chips were found with a terrorist who was among three ones killed by army forces in Tizi Ouzou on Monday, said the same source."

counterterrorismblog.org, NEFA: Iraqi Insurgents Blame Online Antics by Al-Qaida Supporters for Harming "Obelisk" Network, 15 Oct 07 "Over the past year, prominent Internet chat forums which underpin the terrorist communications network known as "Obelisk" have increasingly become the stage for bitter infighting between Al-Qaida and other competing Islamic extremist groups, including the Palestinian Hamas movement, the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), the Mujahideen Army, the 1920 Revolution Brigades, "Iraqi Hamas" and--most recently--Asaeb al-Iraq al-Jihadiya." Commentary by Evan Kohlmann

NY Times/SF Gate, An Internet Jihad Sells Extremism to Viewers in the U.S., 15 Oct 07 "Mr. Khan, who was born in Saudi Arabia and grew up in Queens, is an unlikely foot soldier in what Al Qaeda calls the “Islamic jihadi media.” He has grown up in middle-class America and wrestles with his worried parents about his religious fervor. Yet he is stubborn. "I will do my best to speak the truth, and even if it annoys the disbelievers, the truth must be preached,2 Mr. Khan said in an interview." An interesting piece, with an overview of jihadi activities online to date. The focus is on Samir Khan, who is producing a blog from North Carolina. The article is not explicit as to which blog this is.

Guardian, Islamophonic, October 'Podcast of the year' according to the Association of Online Publishers: "This month we look at hojabis. How fine is the line between a woman wanting to look her best and wanting to arouse attention? Writer and agent provocateur Ali Eteraz has explored the allure of the hijab wearing woman and we have him on the line from Las Vegas.

"Model Mosque 2007 has been making headlines around the world for trying to find Britain's best mosque. Repeat after me: "I have eight beautiful mosques before me...but only one of you will become Britain's Next Top Mosque.""

Cairo Freeze, 12 Oct 07 Cartoon on the differences relating to the conclusion of Eid. Eid Mubarek to readers! [hat tip: Sandmonkey]

asharq alawsat, Al Qaeda’s Secret Correspondence, Part 2, 11 Oct 07 "Letters between members of Al Qaeda intercepted by the US Army and published on a website affiliated to the US Department of Defense shows a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the terrorist organization."

Guardian, World's future hinges on peace between faiths, Islamic scholars tell Pope, 12 Oct 07 "The letter, which is entitled A Common Word between Us and You, says: "Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.""

Press TV, Violence mars Iraq Eid celebration, 12 Oct 07 "In Baghdad, a suicide car bomb blast ripped through an internet cafe on Friday, killing eight innocent civilians and injuring another 25."

Telegraph, Terror suspect 'taunted police', 12 Oct 07 IT link to this story

ameinfo.com, Internet bandits exploit Middle East themes in Ramadan attacks "Trend Micro's TrendLabs detected the novel use of local news and current affairs to undermine computer security during the Holy Month of Ramadan, it was announced today." Seems the Syrian Embassy in London was one of the targets.

ISN, US grapples with cybersecurity,10 Oct 07 "A cybersecurity conference in Washington discusses the latest intrusions into US government information systems as a key security official works to make the US 'the most dangerous' place for cyber criminals."

ISN, Combating al-Qaida, 10 Oct 07, "According to reports, the US lost a significant window on al-Qaida activities last month with the precipitous leak to the media of a 20-minute Osama Bin Laden video passed on to the US government by the private intelligence firm SITE, which has been monitoring jihadi media traffic.

"Firm founder Rita Katz told the Washington Post this week that the "[t]echniques that took years to develop are now ineffective and worthless." The video had yet to be loaded onto al-Qaida-linked sites when it appeared on Fox News, alerting the group that its internet network had been compromised." Also see Daily Kos, Who Leaked The bin Laden Tape?, 10 Oct 07

ITN, Muslim Barbie doll unveiled, 10 Oct 07 Well, hardly an appropriate headline for this news piece. There is an internet link to this, as the product is sold online (according to Reuters, Barbie inspires modest, Muslim alternative, 10 Oct 07), and there are apparently some competitors in the market too. The story has been released elsewhere, but this one comes with a video clip.

One of a number of Ramadan sites that have caught my attention this year is Ramadan Kareem (above). It's got some interesting resources on, and links to other materials - a real international flavour. I have also been visiting the Islam Online tent in Second Life, although it was rather quiet the other day when I flew in ... I also like listening to the Radio Ramadhan site (below), which is based in Glasgow, and has some lively programming, especially early evening.

Jawa Report, Wanted Terrorist Has California Website + E-mail the head of Ansar al Islam! (Bumped/Sticky), 10 Oct 07

AKI, Turkey: Fatwa allows Muslims to pray just three times a day, 10 Oct 07 "Jamal al-Banna, brother of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hasan al-Banna, endorsed the Turkish move.

""Merging prayers has become a modern necessity," he told the al-Arabiya website. "In most cases, people do not always perform the five prayers on time due to the pressures of modern life.""

Guardian, Islamic scholars produce guide to praying at 17,000mph, 10 Oct 07 Also see star-ecentral.com, Live from space "Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will broadcast live, starting from today, an exclusive programme – Malaysia ke ISS – in conjunction with the National Space Mission.

"The 10-day special programme will be aired daily and will give viewers the latest news and live footage of the country's pioneer astronaut conducting research and experiments at the International Space Station (ISS)." Radio Televisyen Malaysia's website will probably be streaming this, although I couldn't find it on the main page.

AP, Iraqi Mullah Appeals Norway Deportation, 9 Oct 07

sify.com, Net's latest celebrity — God 2.0, n.d., "Muxlim's founder, Mohamed El-Fatatry is the Muslim equivalent of Mark Zuckerberg, a fast-talking 22-year-old based in Finland with visions of tapping a largely untouched Muslim user base around the world. "If I wasn't a Mohamed, I would still want to target this market," he says. "There are 150 million Web-using Muslims that have yet to be unpacked. And the fact that I am a Muslim means I know what they need, that I have an edge.""

Worldpress.org, Public Executions Signal New Wave of Suppression, 9 Oct 07, "Almost all of the executions have been carried out through public hangings. Videos of the whole process are then broadcast over the Internet for those who might have missed the show. The quality of many of these videos, and the restricted areas that they have been shot from, leaves almost no doubt that they have been filmed by state-authorized cameramen and released intentionally."

NRK/Norway Post, Mullah Krekar edits propaganda Web sites, 9 Oct 07 "Krekar refuses to comment on the web pages, but NRK claims to be able to document his involvement."

alarabiya.net, Egypt Islamic body okays "traveler's" marriage, 8 Oct 07 no doubt this discussion will run on the net. "Egypt's government body that oversees religious affairs has declared that mesyar marriage – a type of convenience marriage practiced in many Islamic countries – is legitimate, and can only be overruled by a country's head of state."

Piece by Robert Baer, whose film Cult of the Suicide Bomber was on Channel 4 (didn't see it, unfortunately). Times Online, There is no defence against these children of death, 8 Oct 07, "Across the Islamic world, even through the internet in some British Asian teenager’s bedroom, it is all too easy to join the cult of the bomber. You don’t need a gun or an RPG, just a keyboard and an ISP connection."

AFP/Times of India, Saudi Arabia sets up a fatwa site, 7 Oct 2007 "The highest religious authority in Saudi Arabia, where a strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, is applied, has launched an official website for fatwas, or religious edicts.

"The site (www.alifta.com) aims at providing "quick access to fatwas on an official website," says a committee for research and edicts affiliated with the Council of Senior Ulema (Muslim scholars), which operates the site." There is a substantial archive of materials on this website, which will take some going through(!). The site content is alphabetized, searchable, and easy to navigate. There are colour scheme options too.

AFP, African readers get access to information via cellphones, 7 Oct 07

Daily Times, An end to military rule? —Ahmad Faruqui, 7 Oct 07"In many ways, the general’s dictatorship has been the wiliest in history. When he seized power, he figured it was best to dispense with the overt martial recipe that Generals Ayub, Yahya and Zia had dispensed. In the Internet Age, he preferred virtual martial law."

canada.com/Vancouver Sun, Man convicted for a hoax in which he sent a fax warning of a terrorist attack, 6 Oct 07 "Lapoleon sent a fax via an e-mail provider on Feb. 16, 2006, to the Ottawa headquarters of Canada's anti-terrorism unit."

The Slate, Putting the Jew in Juneau, 5 Oct 07 "Bloggers respond to Al-Quds Day and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for a new Jewish state in Canada or Alaska."

YNet, We must get used to new reality where Google Earth uncovers our top secrets, 6 Oct 07 "From now on, when a member of the global Jihad network will be sent to gather intelligence information about a sensitive site in Israel, his masters would be able to provide him with exact coordinates to be entered into Google Earth's search window on his laptop – and that's it. The program will assist him in preparing the operation: It will show him the target from up close and enable him to identify a nearby building where he can observe the target, as well as escape routes." Opinion piece by Alex Fishman

thepeninsulaqatar.com, Islam against citizenship in ‘hostile state’, 8 Oct 07 "Prominent Islamic cleric Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi has said that Muslims accepting the nationality of non-Islamic countries in times of war is against the teachings and tenets of Islam." Also a brief reference to the issue of 'internet marriage'.

khabrein.info, Book Review: Islam and Gender Justice By Margot Badran, n.d. "Badran thus indicates the emergence of a growing breed of believing Muslim women scholar-activists in various countries today who envision Islam as a mandate for gender justice. She talks of how conferences, women's magazines and, especially the Internet, are helping to fashion this 'gender-talk' within the Islamic paradigm as a new global discourse, connecting such women in different parts of the world."

AP, Turkish Hackers Target Swedish Web Sites, 8 Oct 07 "Hackers in Turkey have attacked more than 5,000 Swedish Web sites in the past week, and at least some of the sabotage appears linked to Muslim anger over a Swedish newspaper drawing that depicted the Prophet Muhammad's head on a dog's body.

"Around 1,600 Web sites hosted by server-provider Proinet and 3,800 sites hosted by another company have been targeted, Proinet spokesman Kjetil Jensen said Sunday. Jensen said hackers, operating on a Turkish network, at times replaced files on the sites with messages."